


Wild Animals of London

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Gen, Hunters & Hunting, Wild animals, partners
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:46:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25709944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: A description of the wild animals of London.  You'll just have to read it….
Relationships: Partnerships - Relationship
Comments: 7
Kudos: 26





	1. Hunting Behavior

If you were watching from the roof terrace of a building on this late Saturday morning, you might have noticed the reddish blonde pony tail bobbing in the crowd.It belonged to a young woman, mid-twenties probably, moving among the stalls of the crafts show.She occasionally stopped to inspect an incised pottery mug or gently touch wind chimes to hear their music or perhaps to ask a question of the stall holder.She was a pretty girl, but nothing special, and you’d never know she was working from her casual path through the tents and tables.

If you were sitting at a table at the coffee shop, you wouldn’t notice the tall broad man with a very slight limp at all.He was moving along the sidewalk a distance away, not paying any attention to the hand made items for sale.He would appear to be headed in this direction for a coffee if you didn’t notice he was checking the reflections in the glass display windows as he passed, watching for….someone. 

The pair were gradually drawing closer together from their opposite ends of the block.The man did indeed stop and buy himself a coffee and a newspaper which he took to a sidewalk table in the shade next to the display window.He sat there with his paper, sipping his coffee, and you wouldn’t have realized how hyper aware he was unless you were an expert in big cat stalking behavior.

The young woman was trying a necklace on at one of the stalls, chatting with the owner and taking a selfie of herself wearing it.Then she put it back and took photos of several of the other pieces, stepping back out of the way of other potential customers to flip through the photos, trying to make up her mind which necklace would suit.Only the most astute observer would realize she’d actually been taking photos of a couple who were sitting in the sunshine behind this particular stall, sipping their own fancy coffees and holding hands, instead of taking photos of the goods for sale.

Apparently abandoning her pursuit of the perfect silver necklace, the young woman headed to the coffee shop where she ordered a chai latte.She took it to a table near her prey and sat down, then started playing with her phone.At least that was what she appeared to be doing.In actuality she was texting her companion over in the shadows as they plotted their next move.She finally took a couple of photos of her untouched latte (at least that’s what the casual observer would think she was doing since she belonged to the age group that constantly posted photos of meals to Instagram) and then put the phone down. 

Her prey rose from their table and headed down the sidewalk.The tall man was already walking down the sidewalk ahead of them, going in the same direction.The young lady sipped her drink, watching them walk away from her, then checked her watch.Their probable destination was a ten minute stroll away so she would finish her drink, then collect her Land Rover and head in the same direction to pick up her partner who by that time should have photos of the couple entering the man’s flat. 

Then the pair of hunters would head back to their office and write up their report of the behavior of the man and his companion for his girlfriend who was paying them to confirm or deny her suspicions he was cheating on her.

Another day’s successful hunt drew to a close as she dumped her empty latte cup and crossed the street toward the parking lot.An observer would not have noticed a thing. 

But we of course noticed everything, especially the smiles our lion and lioness gave each other when she pulled up next to him in the Land Rover as he stood smoking on the sidewalk near their target’s flat. 


	2. Socializing Behavior

The gastropub was full of people when we next meet up with our pair.They are not working, however.In fact, the young lady is here with a man her own age, a very handsome man with a chiseled jaw, perfect hair and a nice suit.They are sitting talking at a table while they wait for someone to join them.She is nervous, her hands moving back and forth from her lap to her drink.He is annoyed and impatient, looking around the room and preening for all the girls who are checking him out.

The tall man finally shows up, probably late, judging by all the looks the handsome young man has been giving his watch.He is introduced to the handsome man who just manages to hide a sneer.Not that the tall man didn’t notice—noticing is his business—but he has better manners and a great deal of experience keeping his thoughts to himself.And he is very fond of the young woman so he agreed to meet her fiancé much against his better judgment.He’d already had a pretty clear idea of what he’d be like—young, good-looking, not pleased that his girl worked at anything other than a well-paying job.She was not as experienced at keeping things under wraps as he, so he easily interpreted her silences and glossing over of certain things as her boyfriend’s disapproval of what they did for a living.Couldn’t blame him—their work could be dangerous—but he had a sense the boyfriend was more interested in status and money and looking good than in keeping his lady friend safe and he certainly didn’t understand the lure of finding out the truth of a situation.An ill-matched pair, in other words, but his partner’s love life wasn’t his business.

The pub chosen for their meeting was crowded with the young, well-dressed, on-the-make after work crowd.He fit in here about as well as a giraffe in a herd of sheep, but that never bothered him.He’d always been an outsider and always would be.He noticed that the boyfriend was enjoying looks from the pretty girls.This set off a sixth sense.He would bet money he didn’t have that the boyfriend either had cheated on his partner or would in the future.Or both.He decided this was none of his business, but the discovery irked him enough that when the girl at the next table checked out the handsome man, he turned on the charm and easily deflected her attention from the boyfriend to himself.

It was petty but he was annoyed.He did tone down the smolder when his partner tried to make small talk.He was really fond of her, after all, and if she wanted them to have dinner, dinner it would be.He got them drinks, asked intelligent questions, listened to the boyfriend’s pompous statements, and kept his opinions to himself.He ate his dinner and made small talk and avoided answering any personal questions that the boyfriend unskillfully threw at him.He suppressed the desire to smoke, to punch the wanker, to leave.He played the part of a quiet, unassuming man very well as he listened to his partner craft every sentence to make her boyfriend look good. 

She was trying too hard.It would have been a lot more pleasant if it was just the two of them, eating and talking business, but he’d rarely gotten what he wanted out of life.He was used to that.So he smiled and nodded and kept his head down until dinner was finally over.The three walked outside together, the tall man smoking, and headed for the train station where the couple went one way and the tall man went another.

Two lions and a hyena.


	3. Cross Species Cooperation

The couple in the vintage Land Rover were parked across the street from the snooker hall and had been for over half an hour, sharing a candy bar and a thermos the young woman had filled with tea before she set out on their errand with the tall man.It was drizzling outside and it was dark, so it would be difficult to see them in the front seat.Of course the jackal knew they were there.He’d seen them immediately from the upstairs window of the bar’s game room.No harm in letting them wait a bit while he finished the current business, though.It was going to be quite profitable and he didn’t let much stand in the way of making a buck, not even a meeting with the son of the woman who had saved his life and who was essentially the brother he’d never had.

After the jackal had received payment for a large consignment of illegal drugs, he divided the proceeds up among his boys, then sent them on their way, telling a lieutenant to “send the guy in the Land Rover parked on the street” upstairs.The pack spilled out of the front door, the lieutenant—wise in the ways of his superior—the last out of the door.That way none of the others saw him look at the man in the passenger seat and jerk his head toward the stairs.It was none of their business who his boss met after hours.None of his, either, come to think about it, so he hurried down the sidewalk behind the rest of them, eager to get home and stash his share of the profits in a box hidden in a wall.

The tall man in the Land Rover got out, somewhat stiffly, and crossed the street.The driver locked the vehicle door after him and stayed on watch.The man limped up the stairs and found the jackal sitting at the bar, two drinks ready in front of him.They toasted each other and threw the alcohol back, then the business meeting began.The jackal reported on what he’d learned, the lion handed over an envelope of cash.They made plans for a further exchange of information and pound notes.The jackal asked about the lion’s partner and was told she was outside, waiting.“She wouldn’t leave, so the doors are locked.She says she’ll drive me home and then head home herself after.”

The jackal liked the lioness.She reminded him of the lion’s mother.He walked the lion down the stairs and across the street to the old Land Rover where he greeted the driver.She asked how he’d been and he lied that things were dull in the East End.He well knew that the lion would have his hide if he told his partner anything that might lead her into trouble, brotherhood or not.Didn’t blame him for that.He’d do the same. 

He wondered again when she would dump that pretty boy she was engaged to and move in with her business partner.If he’d ever seen two peas in a pod, it was that pair.Well, not his business.He saluted her, cocked an eyebrow at his old friend, and left them to make their way home.He disappeared into an alley to go who knows where. 

Jackals never reveal their lairs.


	4. Feeding Behavior

The lions had a feeding routine.One or the other would bring coffee to the office each morning.One of them would go out for sandwiches and crisps if they were both in the office at lunchtime.Sometimes she picked them up, sometimes he did, from the little shop three blocks toward the train station.He liked egg salad and she liked cheese and pickle but these weren’t always available, and they made do with what they could find.The crisps were almost always salt and vinegar, however—their favorite.The shop kept those well stocked as they were the most popular.

They both kept a Twix or Mars bar in their pocket or purse.She sometimes had an apple or banana in her tote bag to eat while on surveillance but she always kept candy to share with her partner.

They usually made tea in the afternoon and drank it with biscuits.Sometimes she made the tea, sometimes he did.Each knew exactly how the other liked their tea and they brewed it to perfection.They each had their favorite snacks and would restock the cupboard with each’s preferences when they did their personal shopping.Her mother sent them good tea bags from Yorkshire which they saved for particularly cold or rainy days, or when one or the other needed a lift because the job wasn’t going well.

Every Friday night after work, as long as there wasn’t a job going, they met at the local pub for drinks.Occasionally they shared a meal or perhaps just an order of chips.Whoever arrived first would order a draft beer and a large white wine and carry it to a small table in the back.They’d sip their drinks and relax, going over the week’s achievements and failures, planning for the following week’s hunt.It was a celebration of a sort, of their partnership, of what they’d done, of what they planned to do.If the lioness had to meet her boyfriend and his friends for dinner, she might order chips for her partner and eat one or two before leaving.If she didn’t, they’d often have fish and chips together.Sometimes it was a burger and chips, but always she left a few chips on her plate for him to finish.He’d thought at first she was dieting—the boyfriend was obsessed about her staying slim—but after a while he realized the sharing of food was a gesture of affection towards him.He always ate every chip and felt grateful for having such a partner. 


	5. Defensive Behavior

Lions work as a team to defend themselves. The killer attacked him with a knife.But she had come back to the office and heard the fighting.She hit the killer with the trash can and he punched him, punched him hard enough and often enough she had to stop him.As the killer lay unconscious, she wrapped her scarf around the knife wound in his arm and they looked at each other, appalled by the killer and glad they were both safe, but also appreciative at what they’d done together.She ran for the phone and called the police, an ambulance and a taxi to take her partner to the hospital to have the cut looked at.She went with him and stayed as he was patched up, giving her statement to the police as he gave his.


	6. Mating Behavior

The tall man was at a party.He was wearing an expensive Italian suit and had even shaved his chin.His hair had been trimmed into a more fashionable style, as well.He was moving around the edges of the party, circling his prey.His partner was also at the party, dressed in a long green dress and heels, her reddish-blonde hair sleek in its waves.She had her own target and her circling of that target was in smaller circles.They were undercover, so they didn’t speak or make eye contact.There was no need.Each was very aware of the other, as much aware as they were of their prey.

The serpent was all in severe black, as befits the sort who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden.She was also very pregnant, but still beautiful, more beautiful than anyone else.The devil’s child always wears allure.She spotted the lion and went to him, tugged by the force of his personality and the ancient grudges between them.But serpents taste the air and this one also noticed another lion in the vicinity.“Pretty,” the serpent said.“Isn’t that the girl who works for you?What’s her name?”

“My partner,” he said and kept walking.He managed to get away from the serpent’s coils at last in the guise of getting her a cab.He walked home, trying to shake the memories.

Inside the party, the lioness missed him immediately.Her prey had given up their secrets, leaving her free to notice the serpent and her partner talking.They’d left together.She put on a brave face and pretended not to care as she danced with this man and that, without bothering to learn their names.

The next morning the partners met in their office to talk over their findings.She was relieved to hear that he’d managed to shake the serpent and had gone to bed early.Later on while drinking the cup of tea he’d made her, she pinned down the nauseous feeling the serpent had left behind.It was jealousy. 

But they worked together.She couldn’t risk a relationship that might impact the job, which was their main focus, and besides, she wasn’t his type.His type was the sleek, beautiful, accomplished, talented.Her type was clean-cut and handsome and her own age, or had been. Of course none of their relationships had lasted.Well, it was a puzzle for another day.Right now she needed to concentrate on their current prey.

In the next room, the lion was daydreaming over his tea, not of the exotic beauty he’d left behind, but of his partner and how she’d looked in that green dress as she circled her prey.Maybe one day he’d tell her how he felt. 

But probably not.Lions are rather solitary creatures.


End file.
